A Substrate Integrated Waveguide Slot Array with Voltage-Controlled Liquid Crystal Phase Shifter

A substrate integrated waveguide slot array antenna with a reconfigurable liquid crystal phase shifter for operation at X-band and Ku-band is proposed. The frequency range of operation for a VSWR better than 2 is from 11.85 GHz to 12.25 GHz with a realized gain around 18 dB. Using a liquid crystal phase shifter makes it possible to carry signals with higher power than conventional phase shifters. Moreover, continuous phase shifting as well as wideband operation are among the advantages of using a liquid crystal phase shifter. The proposed antenna can be used in satellite communication systems.